Health 2.0: Do e-Health Tools Need Peer Review?

Developers are looking for ways to use the vast and growing store of data in all kinds of tools for payers, providers, clinicians, and patients. For example, physician rating sites could go beyond written patient reviews and incorporate multiple data sources, such as quality and competency measures, to create a rigorous 360 degree physician review.

Another area where data creates opportunity is in the field of online patient communities. The 1.0 version allowed patients to interact with each other, blog about their experiences, and perhaps access to some content. The 2.0 version uses the patient's own healthcare data to create a rich, customized experience.

In order for any new product to succeed it must be easy for the end user. Healthcare is "so damn inconvenient" Smith said. To succeed, new products must make healthcare easier for patients to navigate the system.

That goes for clinical tools as well.

New products have to be revolutionary for docs to adopt, Choi said. "It has to fit into the workflow seamlessly and really help us connect with our patients and be useful."

One of the goals of the Health 2.0 organization is to connect healthcare organizations and health tech start-up companies in part through two contracts with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT under the Investing in Innovation program, including one that funds a developer challenge.

More than 100 companies are demonstrating new products at the Health 2.0 conference.